BEIJING, April 25 (Reuters) – China did not start the
current standoff in the South China Sea, a senior Chinese
diplomat said on Wednesday, ahead of high-level talks with the
Obama administration as tensions simmer between Beijing and the
Philippines over the disputed waters.
Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Cui Tiankai made the comments
at a news briefing in Beijing before an annual strategic and
economic dialogue with senior U.S. officials next week.
Cui said China was committed to dialogue and diplomacy to
resolve the sovereignty dispute over the region.
China has territorial disputes with several countries in the
southeast Asia, including the Philippines, over areas of the
South China Sea, which could be rich in oil and gas and is
spanned by busy shipping lanes. The United States has urged
Beijing to address the disputes in a multilateral way, but
Beijing has said it will deal with them one on one.
(Reporting by Ben Blanchard, Writing by Sui-Lee Wee)
